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2018-2019 MMCA Board and Committees

President's Message

I would like to suggest an edit to the mosquito classification system, please. There must have been a typo in the taxonomy, as Coquillettidia perturbans doesn’t aptly describe the conditions this mosquito has created. It was clearly meant to be Coquillettidia perturbance! As we forge through our mosquito control season, those of us who reside in cattail marsh areas and in particular shoreline communities riddled with vegetation, have found Cq. perturbans to be a major perturbance over the past few years. Often termed the “4th of July” mosquito in reference to when adult counts would historically peak, the past couple years have seen Cq. perturbans numbers spiking earlier beginning in early June. Aside from being vicious biters, Cq. perturbans are also known to transmit EEE and West Nile virus.

In an industry where rainfall is synonymous with mosquitoes, we have to be vigilant in monitoring mosquito species that thrive in conditions unrelated to precipitation. Rain equals mosquitoes, right? Well, so do cattail marshes, ponds, and containers too. It’s imperative we maintain surveillance in these habitats, educate the public on the link between permanent water and mosquitoes, as well as develop effective treatment plans of these areas that continue to breed during dry times.

Cq. perturbans has thrown a twist into what has otherwise been a relatively tolerable nuisance mosquito season thus far through many parts of Mid-and Lower Michigan. Minimal rainfall through much of May and June saw negligible increases in nuisance mosquitoes such as floodwater species Aedes vexans. Or perhaps it was the fact that Ae. vexans counts were numbering well into the thousands at this time last year due to flooding in this region that the floodwater numbers seem palatable. Let’s keep a positive perspective on our current situations as our thoughts go out to those recovering from disastrous flooding in the Upper Peninsula in June.

With the arrival of summer, the potential of mosquito-borne disease has increased throughout the state. As of June 26, 1 mosquito pool and 2 birds have tested WNv-positive in Michigan. Reports of early WNv detection in Michigan in May continued to show strong interest from the media. It’s important we push to get the word out on this endemic virus as reminding citizens to take personal protective measures is crucial in disease prevention.​ Also in the newsletter you will find an update from Legislative Liaison Committee Chair Carl Doud as he summarizes his trip to the AMCA Washington Conference on behalf of MMCA in support of the NPDES language being incorporated into the 2018 Farm Bill. A special thanks to Dr. Doud for his continued efforts in championing for reasonable and responsible legislation of the mosquito control industry in Michigan.​